At a time when we are seeing an explosion of organic products on offer, you who only want the best for your child may well be tempted to offer some to your baby.
What if we only bought small organics? So the real question is this. Is there really a difference between conventional and organically grown baby food?
And the big surprise, I would answer: hardly at all.
Indeed, the regulations for baby food for children under 3 years of age are so strict that they are already virtually organic.
No pesticides, no nitrates, very few additives... and very strict agreements signed with the farmers. In short, rest assured. I would even say that they are more protected from external contaminants than fresh vegetables bought at the Market (not organic...).
But let's be reasonable. If you feel like making a pumpkin puree with a nice vegetable freshly bought from your favourite shopkeeper, go ahead. Do yourself a favour and baby will enjoy it immensely.
But on the other hand, for carrots and spinach (if they are not organic), I recommend small pots. They will be less loaded with nitrates. By the way, don't get too hung up on nitrates. They won't poison your child.
The only problem with nitrates is that they may turn into nitrites when the food is contaminated with bacteria, such as pureed carrots that are left at room temperature for 24 hours. So, the important thing to remember is that if you prepare your own food, be very careful about hygiene.
In addition, you can be confident about the sanitary quality of baby food. The regulations are very strict. As for organic or not organic, you should know that non-organic food is almost as safe as organic food. So, it's up to you...
One more tip, if the jar is not finished, throw it away (or finish it yourself! Yum!). Don't keep it because bacteria are very greedy!
Dr Laurence PLUMEY
Nutritionist. Paris Hospitals IDF
Professor of Nutrition
Author of numerous books for the general public